a girl on a bench

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, born in London, England, August 30th 1797, was the first born and only child of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Both parents were prominent radical literary figures of the time period, though in unfortunate circumstances, Mary’s mother passed 10 days after giving birth. Godwin, having notably declined the role of sole parent, re-married shortly after to Mary Jane Clairmont. Bringing with her two children, Charles and Jane (later re-naming herself to Claire). Claire & Jane quickly become as close as sisters do.
In the year of 1812, while Mary (age 15) is on an extended stay at a family friends in Dundee, her father begins routine correspondence with Percy Blysshe Shelley. Percy, a well-known poet of the time who admires Gowdin’s work, starts becoming a regular visitor of the Godwin residence, along with his newly wed wife, Harriet Westbrook. After many months at the household, Mary returns for one week from Dundee, crossing paths with Shelley. The two quickly and lustfully fell in love, prompting Mary to return home from her visit to Dundee. They began a relationship immediately, eloping two months later on July 28th, 1814 (Mary being 17 years of age) on the continent. Two short months later, Percy’s original wife, Harriet, gives birth to their first born child. Just three months after that, in the early months of 1815, Mary gives premature birth to her and Percy’s first child, who dies shortly after. One whole year later, an again pregnant Mary gives birth to a healthy son, William. The family, along with Mary’s sister Claire, leave England for Geneva to reside with Lord Byron, an acquaintance of Claire’s who later becomes her husband. Spending months at his estate, Byron puts his fellow companions to the test: who can write the best spooky story? While all guests of the house began to conjure up their stories, it was Mary who was left without inspiration. As she pondered routinely the days by at Byron’s estate, she spent long hours into the night listening to the intellectual conversations of theory and philosophy that consumed Byron and Percy. One topic in particular was in regards to Darwin’s proclaimed theory that he had seen dead tissue seemingly ‘come back to life’. This tale was that which provoked nightmares unto Mary, giving essence and life to the creation of Frankenstein.

In years to come, Mary went on to publish more novels…

Valperga – 1823
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The Last Man – 1826
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck: A Romance – 1830
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Lodore – 1835
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Falkner – 1837
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Amy Sterling Casil

more books by Mary Shelley…

As well as a number of poetry pieces, mostly inspired by her late husband, Percy, who passed in July 1822, when Mary was 24 years of age. One of her most famous poems of the time, The Choice, devotes itself to the subject:

My choice! My choice - alas was had & gone
With the red gleam of the last summer's sun-
Lost in the deep in which he bathed his head,
My choice, my life, my hope together fled:-
A wanderer - here, no more I seek a home
The sky a vault - & Italy a tomb!
Yet as some days a pilgrim I remain
Linked to my orphan child by duty's chain;
And since I have a faith that I must earn
By suffering & by patience, a return
Of that companionship & love, which first
upon my young life's cloud, like sunlight burst,
And now has left me dark as when it beams
Quenched by the might of dreadful ocean stream,
Leave that one cloud, a gloomy speck on high,
Beside one star in the else darkened sky;-
Since I must live, how would I pass the day,
How meet with fewest tear's the morning's ray
How sleep with calmest dreams, how find delights,
As fireflies gleam through interlunar nights?

🌟🌟🌟

here are some of my favorite quotes from Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein:

“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” (pg.54)

“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.” (pg.55)

“Yet I seek not a fellow-feeling in my misery. No sympathy may I ever find. When I first sought it, it was the love of virtue, feelings of happiness and affection with which my whole being overflowed, that I wished to be participated. But now, that virtue has become to me a shadow, and that happiness and affection are turned into bitter loathing and despair, in what should I seek for sympathy? I am content to suffer alone, while my feelings shall endure; when I die, I am well satisfied that abhorrence and opprobrium should load my memory. Once my fancy was soothed with dreams of virtue, of fame, and of enjoyment. Once I falsely hoped to meet with beings who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for the excellent qualities which I was capable of unfolding. I was nourished with high thoughts of honour and devotion. But now crime has degraded me beneath the meanest animal. No guilt, no mischief, no malignity, no misery, can be found comparable to mine. When I run over the frightful catalogue of my sins, I cannot believe I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of the beauty and majesty of goodness. But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.” (pg.223)

🌟🌟🌟

thanks for reading & happy halloween 🎃 don’t forget to join us this Thursday, November 2nd from 7:00 – 8:00 pm to discuss our book club book of the month, Frankenstein!
visit here for more details….